


Madam President

by speakingwosound (sev313)



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: F/F, Future Fic, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 11:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15023666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sev313/pseuds/speakingwosound
Summary: "Welcome back to this Twitter AMA.  I'm your host Katy Tur, here with President Danielle Pfeiffer on this, the one year anniversary of her election.”





	Madam President

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Dan Week](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/comeonandslamandwelcometothedan) day seven "grab bag" prompt.

"Welcome back to this Twitter AMA. I'm your host Katy Tur, here with President Danielle Pfeiffer on this, the one year anniversary of her election. This is a historic moment. President Pfeiffer, what are you thinking about today?"

"Honestly? The pile of briefing books waiting for me when I get back to the office." Dan chuckles, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and crossing her legs under the table, smoothing down the pleats in her dress pants. "Seriously, though, this is an important anniversary for many Americans, young and old, who have waited an awfully long time to see a woman elected to office. It's important to recognize that, and the efforts of all the women who have come before me."

"You've been recognizing those women throughout your first year in office," Katy nods. "You host a women's empowerment brunch every Sunday?"

"Every Sunday I possibly can, yeah. The brunches were my wife's idea, actually. They're a good way to bring together women from a diverse array of fields, from tech and industry to education and public service. Last month, we brought in a group of National Honors Scholars."

"That's quite a commitment."

"It's not entirely a self-sacrifice." Dan chuckles. "These women have good ideas that have been ignored for decades. Unemployment has dropped 3% since I took office, and most of that can be attributed to these women's projects. They're doing incredible things." Dan leans forward, dropping her chin into her hands. Off camera, Lovett motions for her to straighten her back, but Dan either doesn't see her or ignores her. "Just as one example, if you'll indulge me for a moment-"

Katy motions for her to continue.

"Sally Drax, who was at one of our first brunches. Her company is using nanotechnology to grow sustainable crops in the desert. She was awarded just a small federal grant and has parlayed that into 1,000 new tech jobs in Arizona. She's incredible."

"And it's not just industry. More women than ever have registered to run in the midterm elections next year."

"Not just the midterms." Dan taps her fingers against the table, a nervous tick that her campaign staff has tried, and failed, to train her out of. "We have a number of special elections tonight. Governorships in New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia and Congressional races in a handful of states."

Katy smiles. "You're notoriously nervous on election day. How are you feeling about the Party's chances tonight?"

"I tell this story all the time, but the 2016 Presidential election was the only election I've ever not been nervous for. And we all know how that ended." Dan grimaces. "But I try to leave the exit poll watching to my staff these days. And I'm sure my wife's paying more attention to the New York Times needle than she is to this interview."

Backstage, Favs looks up from her phone guiltily. "Did I just get called out in front of a million people?"

Lovett glances at the live stats on her tablet. "Three million."

"Shit." Favs locks her phone and shoves it into her pocket. 

"That's, like, all of Chicago knowing what an unbelievable terror you are."

"I am," Favs quotes, loftily, "'the woman behind the woman' who 'maintains a clear message of hope and maintains the lineage from the Obama to the Pfeiffer White House.'"

"Next time the Post wants to do a story," Lovett warns, "I'm gonna grant them unfettered access. Then they'll see how fucking wrong they are."

Favs shrugs, focusing back on the monitor, where Dan is smiling again, saying something about her new EPA regulation bill, the dark circles under her eyes standing out against her pale skin. "She looks tired."

Lovett sighs. "Yeah, the make-up people gave up fifteen minutes after we got here."

"It's not gonna look great in the morning papers." Favs frowns. "Couldn't they have, I don't know, used some blush or something?"

"The symbol of hope right here, ladies and gentlemen." Lovett glares at her. "And in the almost 25 years we've known each other, what have I ever done to make you think I have a single thought on blush."

"Fair point." Favs fingers the top of her phone in her pocket, before giving in and pulling it back out. She pulls up the Needle, ignoring Lovett's glare. "What? I've already been called out, might as well take advantage."

Lovett laughs, throwing her head back, her shoulder-length curls catching in the backstage lights.

On the monitors, Dan launches into a defense of her tax plan.

***

"I'm not even gonna ask what you thought," Dan chastises fondly as she falls into step with them backstage.

Favs waves her phone, not bothering to be guilty about it. "Sam's up in Ohio but Holly's down in the NY 3rd."

Dan sighs.

"Treasury Secretary was worth it," Lovett reminds her as they reach the motorcade and slide into the middle car. "And you got a little long on Iran and a little short on tax reform. Otherwise it was good."

"I answered three questions on tax reform," Dan argues, as she slides her ankle over her knee and takes off her pearls, handing them over. "I looked ridiculous in these."

"That wasn't me," Lovett promises, but she pockets them to give back to the press team. "And you answered three vague questions on tax reform. Your base is smart, give them some credit and they might just like you more."

"Tax reform is complicated." Favs glances up from her phone, which she has balanced on her thigh. "If she goes into 237 pages on industrial subsidies her approval rating's going to slip even further."

Dan pinches her thigh, but then lets her palm rest there, her fingers spread across Favs' pants. "If I go into 237 pages on tax reform, it'll be obvious how little I understand tax reform." 

Favs laughs, throwing her head back and pushing her thigh into Dan's touch.

"I'm just saying, a little progressive vs. proportional discussion wouldn't kill anyone. And it's what your voters want to talk about, so talk about it. Oh, speaking of," Lovett taps her tablet, making a change to Dan's schedule. "I added a stop in Colorado next week. It's a town hall thing at the University of Denver."

Dan groans, resting her head back against her seat rest. She rolls her neck towards Favs.

"You need to get out there, take this debate directly to the voters or we're gonna lose this fight," Lovett says, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

Dan just barely keeps from rolling her eyes. "I fucking taught you that."

"Yeah, yeah, everything I know I learned from you and Favs, credit where credit's due, whatever," Lovett waves her away. "Who's running this presidency?"

Dan slits her eyes open. "Alyssa."

Favs chuckles, feeling Dan's body move against her with the motion.

"Alyssa agrees with me," Lovett shrugs. Then, to Favs' raised eyebrow, "like I'd bring this up without talking to Alyssa first. I'm not a monster."

"Could of fooled me."

"You all," Dan interrupts them both sleepily, "would do well to remember that you serve at the pleasure of the President."

"Sure," Lovett agrees, easily, as they pull up to the West Wing.

The Secret Service open the door and they climb out to see Tommy waiting for them. Favs' stomach drops.

"Sorry," Tommy greets them, "I know there was a celebration tonight."

Dan sighs, but takes the tablet easily. "The world doesn't stop trying to destroy itself just because we elected a female president. Iran?"

Tommy glances at Favs apologetically as she says, "Laos" and hands over the tablet with a Top Secret document pulled up. "Alyssa's already in the Sit Room."

Dan bumps Favs' shoulder gently - "keep some champagne chilled for us, huh?" - before she follows Tommy, her focus already entirely on the tablet.

Lovett squeezes Favs' upper arm. "Come on, we've got a party to host."

***

Favs does the rounds and gives a short speech - "thank you all so much for coming. POTUS will be here as soon as she can, but, you can pick up your signed photo and White House key chain on your way out" - and then retreats to the Residence.

Lovett meets her there a little later. She’s already changed into joggers and the old, worn, Friend of the Pod sweatshirt that she leaves in the Residence for late nights just like this. Favs is sitting in the corner of the couch, Leo curled next to her thigh, and Pundit jumps up to join him. Favs reaches over to pet her silver muzzle as Lovett stretches out next to them, digging her toes under the dogs.

“Do we at least get popcorn if we’re gonna ride this damn rollercoaster?” Lovett asks, nodding towards the NYTimes livestream Favs has pulled up on the TV. The Needle takes up half the screen and pundits the other half.

Favs hands over a large bucket, “just try not to get sick,” without taking her eyes from the screen.

They call the New Jersey governorship shortly after the polls close, but Ohio and Virginia remain obstinately too close to call. Favs’ fingers twitch, itching to reach for her phone, and she sighs. “You ever wish you had done it,” she asks, as she rolls her neck to look over at Lovett, where she’s typing furiously on her laptop. The Top Secret NSC sticker is starting to peel at the corners. “Laos?”

Lovett fingers don’t pause as she huffs, “Ted fucking Cruz.”

Favs laughs.

Lovett finishes her email, and looks up, blinking. “Were you saying something?”

“I was wondering-” Favs reaches for the popcorn buck between Lovett’s feet and pulls it into her lap. She’s asked this question a number of times - before Dan ran for Congress in 2022 and again before she launched her 2028 exploratory committee and a third, much more honest and much hazier time, on Super Tuesday - but she’ll never, quite, be able to shake the worry that someday, sooner rather than later, Lovett will knock on her door and say _it’s not you, it’s the CA-28th_. “If you regret not running?”

Lovett smirks as she reaches up to rub the back of her neck, where half her curls have fallen out of her loose bun. She glances at the TV, where the Needle for the NY-3 is falling further and further into the red. “Thinking I could have won the 3rd easier than Holly?”

Favs shrugs. “You would have had a shot.”

“I’m a queer Jew from Long Island, of course I would have had a shot,” she chuckles. “But, no. Dan needs me here. And, besides, if I wanted to go back to getting beaten by Republicans, I’d reactivate my Twitter account.”

"Do that and you won't only have Republicans to watch out for.”

Lovett waves her away. "Yeah, yeah. I know you miss it."

"305 days and counting,” Favs agrees, a wistfulness she’s almost embarrassed about in her voice. Almost ten months ago, Favs had spent Dan’s inaugural balls railing against the bill Congress passed in 2020, limiting the President and her staff’s use of social media. She had complained so passionately that the Washington Post’s first policy-related article for the White House had asked, ‘is the first lady ready to roll back the 2020 Presidential Technology bill?’ Dan had been livid, but her screaming had nothing on Alyssa’s carefully-worded but very-pointed lecture on how Dan has such a short time at this President-thing and people are either with her or against her. She had finished, pointedly and, Jon hopes, facetiously, with how she hoped Favs was in the former.

Favs has made it her mission to stay on Alyssa’s good side from that moment on.

“They’re done in the Sit Room,” Lovett says, biting her lip, at the same time as Favs recognizes Dan’s heavy footsteps on the stairs up to the Residence. 

Favs can hear Dan’s deep, throaty laugh, too, as she enters the room, her phone pressed between her shoulder and her ear, “yes, thank you Senator, I appreciate the sentiment. And, yes, of course, it has been a good year, but 2029 will be better. Yes, thank you, sir. Constructive criticism is, of course, always welcome. But, and I am sorry, my legislative liaison is signaling that I have another call. Of course, thank you, good night to you as well.”

Dan locks her phone and Lovett shakes her head. “I’m gonna pay for that little lie with Senator-” She raises her eyebrow, waiting for Dan to supply his name.

“Honestly?” Dan rolls her neck as she undoes the top few buttons on her shirt. She rubs at her heated skin as she leans against the back of the couch. “I don’t even remember.”

Lovett snorts. “I’ll ask the switchboard.”

“Yeah.” Dan grimaces, but she drops her hands into Favs’ hair as she rests her head back against Dan’s stomach. “That’s a good idea. Also, Alyssa wants to see you. About Laos.”

Dan’s expression gives nothing away, and Lovett closes her laptop, uncurling her legs and standing. Pundit looks up, reluctantly, from Leo’s neck, and hops gingerly off the couch. “I’ll be here for a few more hours, ma’am, if you need anything.”

“I sure hope not.” Dan shakes her head, but calls, just as Lovett’s at the top of the stairs, “hey, Lovett? It’s been a good year. Thanks for everything you’ve done, to make that happen.”

Lovett grins, her dimples deep in her tired cheeks, “of course,” and then she’s gone.

Dan watches her go, before crossing to take the vacated place on the couch. She leans close, into Favs’ space, as she murmurs, “hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Favs agrees, pressing forward for a quick kiss, half her attention still on the TV.

Dan shakes her head, laughing in puffs of tired, warm air on Favs’ lips. “That fucking Needle.”

“We won NJ,” Favs says, unrepentant. “Ohio’s too close to call, but Virginia’s looking good.”

Dan presses a kiss behind Favs’ ear as she slides her hand down Favs’ stomach. She tugs open the tie at Favs’ waist and dips her fingers in, against the warm, tan skin.

“I could be distracted,” Favs murmurs, turning to catch Dan in a deeper kiss, sliding her tongue along Dan’s teeth, “but don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“I never don’t finish.”

Favs snorts. “Do you lie to the American people with that mouth?” But she spreads her legs, arching into the dip of Dan’s fingers. “Hey,” she whispers.

“Hi.” Dan arches her neck, reaching for another kiss, and another. Her hands press against Favs’ skin, but she doesn’t drop them lower. “It’s been a whole year.”

Favs flushes, remembering. The nail biting, the bedwetting, the panels and pundits and all the speeches Lovett was writing, for any and all of a dozen eventualities. The utter elation she had felt when, finally, CBS had called it. Favs had climbed onto the stage, stood next to Dan as she gave her acceptance speech, a silent show of support she repeated, much later and much louder, when she’d grabbed Dan’s hand, pulled her through the wreckage of champagne bottles and empty pizza boxes, and dragged her into the President Elect's suite.

"I was reminded, tonight, of how much we've accomplished." Favs drops her neck, pressing kisses in the open v of her shirt. "Job growth," to her shoulder. "The Tech Council,” to the hollow between her breasts. "Founding the Education Reform Exploratory Committee,” to her collarbone.

"That last one," Dan argues, sighing contentedly, "was more you than me."

Favs hums, her breath warm on Dan's skin, as she lifts her head, leaning back against the couch cushions. Dan drops her head to Favs’ shoulder, curling her legs under herself and flattening her hands against Favs’ waistband.

Favs presses a kiss the top of Dan’s head. “I’m proud of you,” she whispers, as Dan’s breath evens and slows.

Favs shakes her head as she turns back to the Needle. The NY-3rd is starting to trend blue again.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments much appreciated! Come chat with me on [tumblr](http://stainyourhands.tumblr.com/)


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